The Best Performance in Every Spider-Man Movie (2024)

Spider-Man films have always been some of the most monumental and great in the superhero genre. Spider-Man is the most popular Marvel character, so his films consistently have mounds of money, talent and care put into them, resulting in some incredible pieces of media. Each movie brings an amazing performance or two to the screen, proving there's more to the superhero genre than just men in tights.

No matter the quality of the film itself, every Spider-Man movie has at least one character or actor who absolutely steals the show and brings a super noteworthy performance to the screen that people can't help but remember. Usually, the actor stealing the show is the villain, love interest, or, of course, the lead actor. Whoever it is, these actors deliver the best performance in their respective Spider-Man movies, with some ranking among the superhero genre's all-time best.

1 Willem Dafoe (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin)

'Spider-Man' (2002)

The first Spider-Man film, directed by Sam Raimi, helped define the standard of quality for superhero films moving forward; it's a huge part of why the genre is as big as they are today. One of the biggest strengths of the first Spider-Man film is the primary antagonist, the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). Spider-Man's greatest villain and nemesis came into the film guns blazing and stole the show from everyone else on the screen.

Willem Dafoe knows exactly how to play a complex and layered character while also making him incredibly scary. The Green Goblin is typically known as one of the most badass Spider-Man villains, all thanks to Dafoe's performance. While terrifying, Dafoe forces audiences' eyes onto him by incorporating camp elements that make it impossible to look away from his mesmerizing skills. His ability to go between the Goblin and Norman Osborn personalities is superb and makes him one of the best performers in superhero cinema.

Spider-Man (2002)

PG-13

superheroes

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

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Release Date

May 3, 2002

Director

Sam Raimi

Cast

Tobey Maguire , Kirsten Dunst , Willem Dafoe , James Franco , Cliff Robertson , Rosemary Harris , J.K. Simmons , Joe Manganiello

Runtime

121 minutes

Writers

Stan Lee , Steve Ditko , David Koepp

2 Rosemary Harris (Aunt May)

'Spider-Man 2' (2004)

Spider-Man 2 is one of the greatest superhero films of all time, and the brilliant performances brought to the screen are one of the major reasons why it works so well. While most would expect the greatest performance to be Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) or Doctor Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), they most likely wouldn't think about the one and only Aunt May (Rosemary Harris).

Rosemary Harris' performance in Spider-Man 2 is the heart of the film's emotional core. Harris brings a warm, loving, and understanding performance that comforts not only Peter Parker but the audience, too. Her plot, which gives Peter the strength to get back up and become Spider-Man again, is as effective because Harris excels in every scene she's in and is clearly invested on every level, making Aunt May the best character in Spider-Man 2. Harris' performance makes Peter's comeback feel more believable and honest; without her, so many of the emotional beats of the film would not work.

Spider-Man 2

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

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See Also

Spider-Man: Homecoming (Film, 2017) - MovieMeter.nlSpider-Man: Homecoming | Rotten TomatoesSpider-Man: Homecoming movie review (2017) | Roger EbertWaar kun je de film 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017) online kijken?

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Release Date

June 25, 2004

Director

Sam Raimi

Cast

Tobey Maguire , Kirsten Dunst , James Franco , Alfred Molina , Rosemary Harris , J.K. Simmons

Runtime

127

Writers

Stan Lee , Steve Ditko , Alfred Gough , Miles Millar , Michael Chabon , Alvin Sargent

3 Thomas Haden Church (Flint Marko/Sandman)

'Spider-Man 3' (2007)

Sam Raimi's third Spider-Man installment typically catches a lot of flak for how overpacked the villains' roster and plot can get, with some even claiming it to be among the worst superhero movies. But if there's one thing that everyone can agree on, it's that the film's primary antagonist should have been solely Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and not included the likes of Venom (Topher Grace).

Sandman's emotional story involving his dying daughter drives him to actually become an incredible superhero movie villain. Thomas Haden Church's work helps bring the emotion necessary to sell such a delicate story. He gives a gruff performance while still letting his sadness and desperation come through. The scene he shares with Peter Parker, in which he apologizes for killing Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), is tear-jerking and sincere, thanks to Church's earnest performance.

Spider-Man 3

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

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Release Date

May 1, 2007

Director

Sam Raimi

Cast

Tobey Maguire , Kirsten Dunst , James Franco , Thomas Haden Church , Topher Grace , Bryce Dallas Howard

Runtime

139

Writers

Sam Raimi , Ivan Raimi , Alvin Sargent , Stan Lee , Steve Ditko

4 Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spider-Man)

'The Amazing Spider-Man' (2012)

It's no secret that Andrew Garfield is commonly known as the best Spider-Man actor so far. His astounding performance in The Amazing Spider-Man helped define his reputation, which was only decent among his contemporaries but has only grown in standing since. Garfield's portrayal is raw, honest and sincere, and it's clear that he has a deep love for the character.

While the direction and screenwriting of The Amazing Spider-Man left a lot to be desired for some audience members, Garfield's performance was praised all around, and for good reason. He brings a certain heart and sincerity to every scene, no matter the context or intention, that enhances both the character and the scene itself to a whole new level. Garfield captures the true essence of Spider-Man, being effortlessly cool without actually trying to be.

The Amazing Spider-Man

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Superhero

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Release Date

June 23, 2012

Director

Marc Webb

Cast

Andrew Garfield , Emma Stone , Rhys Ifans , Denis Leary , Martin Sheen , Sally Field

Runtime

136 minutes

Writers

James Vanderbilt , Alvin Sargent , Steve Kloves , Stan Lee , Steve Ditko

5 Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy)

'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' (2014)

Two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone is the other side of the coin that made The Amazing Spider-Man franchise so special. Her chemistry with Andrew Garfield brings the duology to life and creates one of the best on-screen romances of all time. But Gwen Stacy's relationship with Peter Parker isn't what makes Stone's performance so special: Gwen is a very independent character who works alongside Peter and not in service of him.

Stone portrays Gwen with an honesty that makes viewers fall in love with her just as much as Peter does, making her inevitable death even more heartbreaking. The way she approaches playing the character is honest and genuine in pretty much every way. Stone brings a softness to her portrayal while still embodying Gwen's fierceness whenever needed, creating the most three-dimensional of Spidey's on-screen love interests.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

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Release Date

April 16, 2014

Director

Marc Webb

Cast

Andrew Garfield , Emma Stone , Jamie Foxx , Dane DeHaan , Colm Feore , Felicity Jones

Runtime

142

Writers

Alex Kurtzman , Roberto Orci , Jeff Pinkner , James Vanderbilt , Stan Lee , Steve Ditko

6 Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes/The Vulture)

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017)

While he may have started his superhero film career in the DC universe as the iconic Caped Crusader, Michael Keaton eventually made his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to portray the villain in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. The Vulture runs an operation, selling tech made from the remnants of superhero battles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Vulture is written to contrast Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) mentor, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.); thus, he is a man put down by the rich and powerful, developing an understandable disdain for them. Keaton performs in a way that brings out his gruff nature very well while also making his surprise role as a father to Liz Allan (Laura Harrier) in the third act very believable. Keaton brings reliability to the role along with the warmth and sincerity that a father would have, masking his rough-around-the-edges exterior that Peter knows all too well.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Comedy

Drama

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Release Date

July 7, 2017

Director

Jon Watts

Cast

Tom Holland , Zendaya , Michael Keaton , Marisa Tomei , Robert Downey Jr. , Jon Favreau , Jacob Batalon , Laura Harrier

Runtime

133 minutes

7 Jake Johnson (Peter B. Parker)

'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)

When Miles Morales (Shamiek Moore) is tasked with saving the multiverse, he gains the mentorship of Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), a Spider-Man down on his luck. Jake Johnson has always been good at playing the "man-child" type of character. After his long-running tenure on the hit series New Girl, Johnson more than proved himself as someone who could not only excel in the archetype but actually push it forward, revealing new sides to it.

Johnson has a way of portraying a sense of childlike demeanor while also locking in and being serious when the going gets tough on what seems like the flip of a switch. Johnson finds a way to use immaturity to supply and enhance the mature moments that Peter B. Parker has. The actor proves himself one of the best Spider-Man voice actors in this film, making the emotional beats much stronger than they would be without Johnson playing the character.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

PG

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Animation

Family

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

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Not available

Not available

Not available

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Release Date

December 14, 2018

Director

Bob Persichetti , Peter Ramsey , Rodney Rothman

Cast

Shameik Moore , Jake Johnson , Hailee Steinfeld , Mahershala Ali , Nicolas Cage , Brian Tyree Henry

Runtime

117

Writers

Phil Lord , Rodney Rothman

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8 Jake Gyllenhaal (Quentin Beck/Mysterio)

'Spider-Man: Far From Home' (2019)

Jake Gyllenhaal has always been known as an incredibly talented actor, thanks to his Oscar-nominated role in Brokeback Mountain and great performances in Nightcrawler and Donnie Darko. So, when it was announced that he would be joining the cast of Spider-Man: Far From Home as the iconic Spider-Man villain, Mysterio, fans were more than just excited. After all, Gyllenhaal has been known to play unstable and deceiving characters very well in the past.

Fans knew that Mysterio was never going to actually be a good guy, but Gyllenhaal did a wonderful job at somehow still making the lie believable. It takes talent to play a character who is also playing a character, and the actor makes it look effortless; thus, the facade feels real. When it comes time for him to snap in the third act, he does what he does best and freaks out with a ferocity that Gyllenhaal is masterful at executing.

Spider-Man: Far from Home

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

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Release Date

June 28, 2019

Director

Jon Watts

Cast

Tom Holland , Samuel L. Jackson , Jake Gyllenhaal , Marisa Tomei , Jon Favreau , Zendaya Coleman

Runtime

130

Writers

Chris McKenna , Erik Sommers , Stan Lee , Steve Ditko

9 Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man)

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (2021)

Many audience members and critics often gave Tom Holland's Spider-Man a lot of flak for seemingly not having the emotional complexity that the other two live-action Spider-Men had. While he totally proved the naysayers wrong with his emotional breakdown in Spider-Man: Far From Home, he really got the chance to show the world how truly talented he is in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Peter Parker goes through a lot in No Way Home. His identity is revealed to the public, his friends get caught in the crossfire, he's responsible for a group of multiversal villains being stranded on his Earth, and unfortunately, his beloved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) meets her end at the hands of the Green Goblin. Holland portrays a plethora of emotions throughout Spider-Man: No Way Home, brilliantly showing how far his younger Spider-Man has come in the time since he began his journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland keeps his lighthearted demeanor while layering a more serious one underneath it.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

PG-13

Superhero

Drama

Action

Comedy

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Release Date

December 17, 2021

Director

Jon Watts

Cast

Tom Holland , Zendaya , Benedict Cumberbatch , Jacob Batalon , Jon Favreau , Jamie Foxx , Willem Dafoe , Alfred Molina , Benedict Wong , Marisa Tomei , Andrew Garfield , Tobey Maguire

Runtime

148 minutes

10 Shamiek Moore (Miles Morales/Spider-Man)

'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' (2023)

After his debut in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Shamiek Moore received a lot of praise for his portrayal of Miles Morales. So, going into the sequel film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, everyone knew he'd bring a serviceable performance at worst, but the actor surpassed all expectations. Moore brought a whole new layer of complexity to Miles Morales as he is faced with his biggest challenge yet.

Miles certainly had a lot of pressure in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but things get far worse for the young hero when he meets the Spider Society. Moore's portrayal shows Miles having finally come into his own as the iconic hero. With just his voice, Moore delivers a performance that feels confident yet unsure, adding a layer of sadness and hopelessness when he discovers that he's expected to let his father die at the hands of the Spot (Jason Schwartzman). Miles' conflict in Across the Spider-Verse is even more compelling, and Moore rises to the occasion.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

PG

Animation

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Where to Watch

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Release Date

June 2, 2023

Director

Joaquim Dos Santos , Kemp Powers , Justin K. Thompson

Cast

Shameik Moore , Hailee Steinfeld , Oscar Isaac , Jake Johnson

Runtime

140 minutes

Writers

Dave Callaham , Phil Lord , Chris Miller

NEXT: The Most Underrated Character in Every Spider-Man Movie